More Female Accountants Needed At The Board Level

CFO World outline a worrying trend that fewer women are training to be accountants, with insight from Suzzane Wood, Russell Reynolds Associates, on the long term implications for a reduced pipeline of qualified female talent.

Suzzane Wood, who specialises in board-level finance and non-executive assignments at search firm Russell Reynolds Associates, told CFOWorld: "I understand from the Big Four that the female to male ratio at graduate entry is declining.”

Wood added: “There is a lot of evidence to suggest female qualified accountants are still not making it to the very top. And that whilst the gender debate is encouraging and supporting them to achieve this goal, it will take a few more years before we have sufficient talent to meet the boards’ requirements".